Procyon is the Little Dog Star | Brightest Stars | EarthSky Want to know more about astronomy? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today! View larger. | Orion with his Dogs. The Dog Stars are Sirius in the constellation Canis Major, and Procyon in the constellation Canis Minor. In this photo, Orion is in the upper right. Notice that the three stars of Orion’s Belt point to the brightest star in this photo, Sirius. Procyon is the bright star on the far left of the photo. Procyon and Sirius make a large triangle with the bright star Betelgeuse in Orion. Taken in February 2013 by EarthSky Facebook friend Daniel McVey over White River National Forest – Summit County, Colorado. Thank you, Daniel! See more photos from Daniel McVey on his Facebook page. Procyon is easy to find on winter and spring evenings, in a large pattern made of three bright stars, known as the Winter Triangle. How to see Procyon. Look for Procyon in the evening in the winter and spring months. By March of every year, Procyon is at or near the meridian (highest point in the sky) at early evening.

By June, Procyon sets not long after dark. Procyon is the brightest star in Canis Minor the Lesser Dog. This constellation is small, with only one other noteworthy star, named Gomeisa. Sometimes, Canis Minor is called the Hot Dog. Sometimes Procyon is called the Lesser Dog Star or Little Dog Star. Our chart shows Procyon as a member of the Winter Triangle asterism. In other words, these stars are not a recognized constellation – just a group of noticeable stars that happen to form a triangle pattern on the sky’s dome. Fainter than blue-white Sirius to its south, white Procyon is marginally brighter than orange-red Betelgeuse to the west. The best time to view Procyon is at evening in late winter through spring, when the Winter Triangle (Sirius, Procyon, Betelgeuse) is highest in the sky. At magnitude 0.4, Procyon is almost the same brightness as nearby Betelgeuse in Orion, with average magnitude 0.45. (Remember, in the magnitude system, larger numbers are fainter.) “Procyon” is also the genus designation of raccoons.

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Procyon in history and mythology. Procyon is the alpha star of the constellation Canis Minor the Small Dog. In mythology, Canis Minor is the smaller of two of Orion the Hunter’s companion hunting dogs. The constellation Canis Major depicts the Great Dog, highlighted by Sirius , the sky’s brightest star (after the sun). The name Procyon is from Greek and means “before the dog,” a reference to the rising of this star shortly before Sirius, the larger Dog Star in the constellation Canis Major. Procyon’s rising time was particularly important in ancient Egypt, because the helical rising – or rising just before the sun – of Sirius heralded the annual flooding of the Nile River. Thus the rising of Procyon just before Sirius gave even more advanced warning. Procyon still does rise before Sirius as seen from mid-northern latitudes, like those in the northern United States. But from the southern U.S. and similar latitudes – for example, Cairo in Egypt – Sirius now rises before Procyon! Thus an observer in Cairo today would find that Sirius rising a couple of minutes before Procyon and the reason for the name “before the dog” no longer applies.

This change is due to a kind of long-term wobble in Earth’s motion, called precession. An aside: “procyon” is also the genus designation of raccoons. Apparently the “before the dog” appellation indicated that biologists once considered raccoons as the precursors of dogs in the evolutionary sequence – an idea no longer in favor. Read more about Procyon from Daniel Perley at Berkeley. Procyon science. The star Procyon is nearing the end stages of its lifetime, evolving from a normal mature star to the inflated giant stages of old age. Normal stars spend the large majority of their lifetimes converting hydrogen into helium. As the available hydrogen runs out, a star grows larger and its surface becomes cooler. Eventually Procyon will become a red giant star, much larger and brighter than the sun, but that is still some millions of years in the future. Currently Procyon is designated as an F5IV-V star, where the F5 essentially gives the color or temperature of the star’s surface, and the IV-V means that it is in a transitional phase between the Main Sequence (V) and subdwarf (IV) periods.

Only 11.4 light-years away, Procyon is one of our nearest stellar neighbors. It is about 1.4 times as massive as the sun, and has roughly twice its diameter. Slightly more than 7 times brighter than the sun, Procyon’s hotter surface (about 11,300 degrees F (6550K) compared to about 10,000 degrees F for the sun) radiates more of the higher energy but shorter wavelengths of light. As such, it is nearly 8 times more energetic (luminous) than the sun. Procyon is a double star with a faint white dwarf companion that is not visible except in telescopes. The white dwarf, Procyon B, is farther along in its evolution than Procyon, and in fact has reached the end of the line. It no longer produces stable hydrogen fusion and is considered a “dead” star. The reasonable assumption is that these two stars formed at the same time, so the fact that Procyon B has already become a stellar corpse indicates that it originally must have been slightly more massive than Procyon.

More massive stars tend to burn their fuel hotter and faster, causing them to burn out sooner. The position of Procyon is RA 07h 39m 18.1/17.7s, dec +05° 13′ 29/20″. PAS Constellations: 'CMi' Declination: 5.90 degrees Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog, can be seen from the Northen Hemisphere from December until April, and from November until April in the Southern Hemisphere. Canis Minor, the 'little dog', stands on the back of the unicorn (Monoceros), it is the second of Orion's two hunting dogs. In legend the dogs (Canis Major and Canis Minor) were associated with the dogs which tore the unsuspecting Actaeon to pieces when he came upon Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt, while she was bathing in a woodland pool. The dogs are also associated with the Egyptian god-headed god Anubis, the guide of souls.

Procyon and Gomesia are the two brightest stars in this constellation, Procyon is a greek word for 'Before the Dog', as Procyon rises before Canis Major, which contains the Dog-Star, Sirius. The Mesopotamians, called Procyon 'The Star of the Crossing Water-Dog', as it lies near their River of Heaven (the Milky-Way). The Stellar Guide: Canis Minor Star Diagram About Canis Minor Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog, stands on the back of the unicorn, Monoceros. It is the second of Orion's two hunting dogs. In legend, the dogs were associated with the dogs that tore the unsuspecting Actaeon to pieces when he came upon Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt, while she was bathing in a woodland pool. The dogs are also associated with the Egyptian dog-headed god Anubis, the guide of souls. Procyon and Gomesia are the two brightest stars in this constellation, Procyon is a Greek word for 'Before the Dog', as Procyon rises before Canis Major, which contains the Dog-Star, Sirius.

The Mesopotamians called Procyon 'The Star of the Crossing Water-Dog', as it lies near their River of Heaven, the Milky Way. Named Stars Procyon: Bright Star With Hidden Companion Procyon: Bright Star With Hidden Companion By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | September 24, 2013 05:03pm ET MORE Procyon, Betelgeuse and Sirius form the Winter Triangle. Credit: StarryNightEducation Procyon is a binary star system in Canis Minor (the lesser dog), which is a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. It is among the 10 brightest stars from Earth's sky. The system is made up of Procyon A (a main sequence star) and Procyon B (a much smaller white dwarf.) More recently, the star has been under scrutiny to find any evidence of acoustic oscillations occurring within the star. In 2004, a team of astronomers was unable to find any evidence after a 32-day stretch of almost continuous observations, but follow-up observations with another telescope revealed there were oscillations.

Procyon before modern astronomy The name Procyon came from an ancient Greek word (sometimes translated as Prokuon) meaning something close to "before the dog." Procyon is also the name of the genus that raccoons belong to. Scientists once thought raccoons came before dogs in the evolutionary sequence. (That is no longer the case.) The phrase referred to the fact that Procyon (also called the Little Dog Star) comes into the sky shortly before Sirius (the Dog Star), which is the brightest star in the sky. Canis Minor and the constellation Canis Major (which Sirius anchors) are constellations that represent the hunting dogs of the hunter Orion , who also is immortalized in a constellation. Procyon is also one of the points, of the Winter Triangle asterism, along with Sirius and Betelgeuse . According to Richard Hinckley Allen's "Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning," the star was also spotted in several other cultures.

Among them: Chinese astronomers called it the Nan Ho, or the Southern River; 15th-century Timurid astronomer and ruler Ulug Beg called it Al Shi'ra al Shamiyyah, sometimes shortened to Al Shamiyyah; In Euphratean cultures, the star was associated with Kakkab Paldara, a phase meaning "the star of the crossing of the water dog." This was in reference to the nearby path of the Milky Way through the sky. Locating Procyon At less than 12 light-years away, Procyon is practically in the solar system's back yard. Its proximity is a large reason why the star appears so bright from Earth. [ Infographic: The Nearest Stars to Earth ] Procyon's apparent magnitude is 0.38, making it the eighth brightest star in Earth's night sky. Procyon's location is: Right ascension: 7 hours 39 minutes 18.1 seconds Declination: +5 degrees 13 minutes 30 seconds The invention of the telescope allowed astronomers to peer closer at the star, and the accuracy of star maps improved.

In 1718, Edmond Halley noted that Procyon moved noticeably over the centuries , along with stars such as Arcturus and Sirius. This realization led to the discovery that stars had their own proper motion in the sky, relative to each other. (The motion of Arcturus was particularly pronounced, moving about one degree — twice the width of the full moon — every 1,500 years.) Though they look serene and silent from our vantage on Earth, stars are actually roiling balls of violent plasma. Test your stellar smarts with this quiz. Gomeisa The history of the star: Gomeisa from p.134 of Star Names , Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889. [A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage ] Beta (β) Canis Minor , Gomeisa, is a white star in the neck of the Lesser Dog.

Gomeisa or Al-Ghumaisa' ( 1 ), "The bleary-eyed one", "The Weeping One", or "The Wateried Eyed" Allen says Gomeisa or its variants was an Arabic name for the constellation of Canis Minor and says: "We also find Al Jummaiza, their Sycamine, although some say that this should be Al Ghumaisa, from the Arabic story connected with Suhail ( Canopus ) and his marriage to Al Jauzah ( Orion who in this story was a woman) and subsequent flight, followed by Al Shi'ra ( Canis Major ) below the Milky Way, where she remained. The other sister, Al Ghumaisa (this figure - Canis Minor ), being left in tears in her accustomed place. Thus the Two Dog-stars/constellations were the Arabs' Al Aliawat al Suhail, the Sisters of Canopus ." [ p132. of Star Names]. Al Jummaiza, also is Arabic for the Sycamine tree, a tree mentioned in the New Testament, thought to be a species of mulberry.

Gomeisa is from the Arabic Ghumaisa' of the constellation, changed in the Alfonsine Tables to Algomeyla, and by Burritt's Atlas of 1856 to Gomelza. Occasionally it has been Al Gamus, from another of the Arabians' titles for the whole constellation of Canis Minor . Mirzam , or beta (β) Canis Major , was often combined by the Arabs with the this star beta (β) Canis Minor (Gomeisa), and these two beta stars together were titled "The Anouncers", heralding the coming of Sirius , the biggest star in the sky, because they rose before Sirius in the night sky. The Arabs utilized this star, Gomeisa, with Procyon , to mark the terminal points of their short Cubit, or Ell, Al Dhira, their long Cubit being the line between Castor and Pollux of Gemini . This same word appears in the title of one of the moon stations in that constellation. [ Star Names , Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889].

The astrological influences of the constellation Canis Minor Legend: Canis Minor represents Maera, the hound of Icarius, who drowned himself on account of his grief at the death of his master (see Bootes ). According to another account it was Helen's dog who was lost in the Euripus. [Robson * , p.35.] Influences: Ptolemy gives no information as to the influence of the constellation Canis Minor itself but merely describes that of its chief star Procyon . By other authors however, it is said to cause frivolity and either love of dogs or danger of dog-bites. It is noteworthy that the ideas of water and drowning seem to be universally associated with this constellation. In addition to the Greek ideas embodied in the legends its Euphratean name was the Water Dog, and its Chinese equivalent Nan Ho, the Southern River, certain of the stars being called Shwuy Wei, a Place of Water. Together with Canis Major this constellation is associated by the Kabalists with the Hebrew letter Tzaddi and the 18th Tarot Trump, "The Moon".

[Robson * , 35.] The astrological influences of the constellation Canis Minor given by Manilius: This constellation was known to the Greeks as Prokuon and to Latins as Procyon (which is the name of the alpha star Procyon ): "Procyon rises at the moment when Cancer's twenty-seventh degree ascends from the waves to the stars. He bestows upon those born under him not hunting, but its weapons.

To rear keen scented whelps and to tell their class by their pedigree, their qualities by their place of origin; to produce nets and hunting-spears tipped with strong points, and pliant shafts with knots smoothed out and to manufacture and sell at a profit whatever the art of hunting is likely to require: these are the gifts Procyon will bestow" [Manilius, Astronomica , 1st century AD, book 5, 317.] Announcers: Mirzam , or beta (β) Canis Major , was often combined by the Arabs with the this star beta (β) Canis Minor (Gomeisa), and these two beta stars together were titled "The Anouncers", heralding the coming of Sirius , the biggest star in the sky, because they rose before Sirius in the night sky. In Arabia they were imagined as two dogs. One can imagine barking dogs announcing the arrival of visitors, or barking dogs bringing something to people's attention: Many radio and TV announcers are influenced by either of these two stars (birth-charts from the AstroDataBank program).

References: The Brightest Stars in the Sky: A Starry Countdown The Brightest Stars in the Sky: A Starry Countdown By SPACE.com Staff | March 18, 2014 11:35am ET MORE Credit: Clara Moskowitz/SPACE.com Star Light, Star Bright ... The night sky can be a wondrous place filled with stars, but there are some brilliant celestial lights that shine brighter than others. Astronomers measure the brightness of stars, planets and other night sky objects using a scale called magnitude. The lower the magnitude number an object has, the brighter it shines. (Objects with negative numbers are exceptionally bright.) Here's a look at the brightest stars in the night (and day) sky based on their "apparent magnitude," which is how bright they appear from Earth. FIRST STOP: Achernar Credit: University of Illinois. Achernar The star Achernar lies in the constellation of Eridanus. The star has an apparent magnitude of 0.46 and an absolute magnitude of -1.3. It lies 69 light-years from Earth.

[See our facts about Achernar .] NEXT: Procyon Credit: StarryNightEducation Procyon Next on the brightness list is Procyon , which is located in the constellation of Canis Minor (the lesser dog), 11.4 light-years from Earth. The star has an apparent magnitude of 0.38 and an absolute magnitude of 2.6. Image: Procyon, Betelgeuse and Sirius form the Winter Triangle. [See our facts about Procyon .] NEXT: Rigel Credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo / NASA Rigel The star Rigel lies in the constellation of Orion, 1,400 light-years from Earth. The star has an apparent magnitude of 0.12 and an absolute magnitude of -8.1. Image: Light from the star Rigel reflects off the dust composing the Witch Head Nebula. [See our facts about Rigel .] NEXT: Capella Credit: Starry Night Software Capella Capella lies in the constellation of Auriga, 41 light-years from Earth. The star has an apparent magnitude of 0.08 and an absolute magnitude of 0.4.

Image: This sky map shows the location of Capella, a bright star also known as the "Goat Star," in the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer. [See our facts about Capella .] NEXT: Vega Credit: John Chumack/ Vega The star Vega (of "Contact" fame) lies in the constellation of Lyra, 25 light-years from Earth. The star has an apparent magnitude of 0.03 and an absolute magnitude of 0.6. Image: The Milky Way shines over western Iowa, August 31, 2013. The bright star Vega stands out at top center. [See our facts about Vega .] NEXT: Arcturus Credit: Justin Ng Arcturus The bright star Arcturus lies in the constellation of Boötes, 34 light-years from Earth. The star has an apparent magnitude of -0.04 and an absolute magnitude of 0.2. Image: A lunar halo glows over Mersing, Malaysia. Venus appears at the bottom right with Saturn near the top of the moon. The fourth brightest star in the night sky, Arcturus, is seen near the top right corner.

[See our facts about Arcturus .] NEXT: Rigil Kentaurus Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2 Rigil Kentaurus Rigil Kentaurus is the third brightest star in the night sky, though its brightness is due to the proximity of the system — commonly known as Alpha Centauri — which is the sun's closest neighbor, about 4.3 light-years away from Earth. The star is located in the Centaurus constellation, and has an apparent magnitude of -0.27 and an absolute magnitude of 4.4. [See our facts about Rigel Kentaurus .] NEXT: Canopus Credit: NASA Canopus Canopus lies in the constellation of Carina, 74 light-years from Earth. The star has an apparent magnitude of -0.72 and an absolute magnitude of -2.5. Image: Canopus, the second-brightest star in the sky, is visible in this view photographed by astronaut Donald R. Pettit, Expedition Six NASA ISS science officer, on board the International Space Station. [See our facts about Canopus .] NEXT: Sirius 10 of 12 Credit: NASA, H.E. Bond and E.

Nelan (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.); M. Barstow and M. Burleigh (University of Leicester, U.K.); and J.B. Holberg (University of Arizona) Sirius Sirius lies in the constellation of Canis Major, 8.6 light-years from Earth. The star has an apparent magnitude of -1.46 and an absolute magnitude of 1.4. Image: This Hubble Space Telescope image shows Sirius A, the brightest star in our nighttime sky, along with its faint, tiny stellar companion, Sirius B. [See our facts about Sirius, the Dog Star .] NEXT: The Sun Credit: Greg Diesel Walck Sun The sun , of course, represents the closest star to us. Earth orbits 93 million miles from the sun, which has an apparent magnitude of -26.72 and an absolute magnitude of 4.2. Image: Venus transits the sun, with sunspots, on June 5, 2012. [See our facts about the sun .] More Reading: Procyon The history of the star: Procyon from p.133 of Star Names , Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889.

[A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage ] Alpha (α Canis Minor ), Procyon, is a binary, 0.4, and 13, yellowish white and yellow star on the body of the Lesser Dog. Its titles Procyon and Antecanis meant "Rising before Sirius ", "The Dog in Front", "The Preceding Dog". Procyon, varied by Procion and Prochion,— Prokuon in the original Greek,— has been the name for this from the earliest Greek records, distinctly mentioned by the Greek astronomer Aratus, circa 270 B.C., and the second-century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and so known by all the Latins, with the equivalent Antecanis.

The 15th century Tartar astronomer Ulug Beg designated it as Al Shi'ra al Shamiyyah, shortened to Al Shamiyyah; the 14th century Greco-Persian astronomer Chrysococca transcribing this into his Low Greek Siaer Siame, and the Italian astronomer Riccioli (1598–1671) into Siair Siami; all of these agreeing with its occasional English title the Northern Sirius. The Alfonsine Tables of 1521 quote it as Aschere, Aschemie el Algomeysa; those of 1545, as prochion and Algomeyla. It thus has many of its constellation's names; in fact, being the magna pars of it, probably itself bore them before the constellation ( Canis Minor ) was formed. Jacob Bryant insisted that its title came to Greece from the Egyptian Pur Cahen.

Euphratean scholars identify it with the Kakkab Paldara, Pallika, or Palura of the cylinders, the Star of the Crossing of the Water-dog, a title evidently given with some reference to the River of Heaven, the adjacent Milky Way; and Hommel says that it was the Kak-shisha which the majority of scholars apply to Sirius . Dupuis said that in Hindu fables it was Singe Hanuant; and Edkins that it, or Sirius , was the Persian Vanand [“ the clan of the Vanands ” immigrated from Persia and settled in Armenia and Bulgaria]. Chinese list gives it as Nan Ho, "the Southern River", in which beta (β Gomeisa ) and eta (η) were included. With the natives of the Hervey Islands it was their goddess Vena. In astrology, like its constellation, it portended wealth, fame, and good fortune. Procyon culminates on the 24th of February. [ Star Names , Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889].

The astrological influences of the constellation Canis Minor Legend: Canis Minor represents Maera, the hound of Icarius, who drowned himself on account of his grief at the death of his master (see Bootes ). According to another account it was Helen's dog who was lost in the Euripus. [Robson * , p.35.] Influences: Ptolemy gives no information as to the influence of the constellation Canis Minor itself but merely describes that of its chief star Procyon . By other authors however, it is said to cause frivolity and either love of dogs or danger of dog-bites. It is noteworthy that the ideas of water and drowning seem to be universally associated with this constellation. In addition to the Greek ideas embodied in the legends its Euphratean name was the Water Dog, and its Chinese equivalent Nan Ho, the Southern River, certain of the stars being called Shwuy Wei, a Place of Water. Together with Canis Major this constellation is associated by the Kabalists with the Hebrew letter Tzaddi and the 18th Tarot Trump, "The Moon".

[Robson * , 35.] The astrological influences of the constellation Canis Minor given by Manilius: This constellation was known to the Greeks as Prokuon and to Latins as Procyon (which is the name of the alpha star Procyon ): "Procyon rises at the moment when Cancer's twenty-seventh degree ascends from the waves to the stars. He bestows upon those born under him not hunting, but its weapons. To rear keen scented whelps and to tell their class by their pedigree, their qualities by their place of origin; to produce nets and hunting-spears tipped with strong points, and pliant shafts with knots smoothed out and to manufacture and sell at a profit whatever the art of hunting is likely to require: these are the gifts Procyon will bestow" [Manilius, Astronomica , 1st century AD, book 5, 317.] The astrological influences of the star Procyon According to Ptolemy it is of the nature of Mercury and Mars; to Simmonite, of Venus and Mars, which is probably a misprint; and, to Alvidas, of the Moon, Jupiter and Uranus.

It gives activity, violence, sudden and violent malevolence, sudden preferment by exertion, elevation ending in disaster, danger of dog bites and hydrophobia, and makes its natives petulant, saucy, giddy, weak-natured, timid, unfortunate, proud, easily angered, careless and violent. Two cases are on record of death or injury by dog bite in which Procyon and Sirius are involved. [Robson * , p.191.] Procyon is a very fortunate star; known to the Mesopotamians as 'The Star of the Crossing of the Water - Dog', as it lies near their River of Heaven, the Milky Way. Procyon foretold wealth and renown, and in all astrology has been much regarded, giving 'Everlasting of the Right, and Good Effect'. Procyon has a Mars-Mercury nature and therefore makes people hasty, jealous, pig-headed. But it also confers will-power and ability to put thoughts and plans into action. According to tradition there is also a tendency to a hot temper and impudence. Rise and success are found with it, but fall from high position later, is indicated. Enterprises created in haste therefore do not last.

People who "want to go through the wall with their head" only cause injury to themselves. Procyon gives drive and a good sharp mind. Linked with positive stellar bodies, success is made greater, but the native, in order to avoid a fiasco, has always to take care not to be imprudent. Especially dangerous is Procyon configured with Mars and Pluto. With the Sun, a valiant demeanor is indicated. [ Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation , Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.43.] In astrology, like its constellation, it portended wealth, fame, and good fortune. [ Star Names , Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889, p.134. ] Associated with vigorous activity verging on violence. [ Larousse Encyclopedia of astrology ]. If Rising: Artful, crafty, dissembling, wealth by violence and rapine, lust, dissipation, waste and ruin, military preferment, quarrels, loss in trade or by servants. [Robson * , p.191.] With Sun: Great help from friends, gifts and legacies if not afflicted, military preferment after great struggles and expense.

If rising or culminating, kingly preferment. [Robson * , p.192.] With Moon: Occult interests, restless, never remains long in one place, quarrels with friends, partners and employers. If at the same time the Sun and Mars be with Deneb Adige (5 Pisces) or Vega (14 Capricorn), above the earth, death from the bite of a mad dog. [Robson * , p.192.] With Mercury: Occult interest, minor position of management under Government, trouble and scandal through opposite sex, favorable for health and gain. [Robson * , p.192.] With Venus: Many benefits from influential friends, associated with the Church, favorable for gain. [Robson * , p.192.] With Mars: Cruelty, violence, scandal and slander, disgrace and ruin, danger of dog bites. [Robson * , p.192.] With Jupiter: Many journeys, trouble through relatives and the Church or law, help from friends.

[Robson * , p.192.] With Saturn: Good judgment, high position of trust often in connection with land, may be adopted by aged couple from whom a good inheritance is obtained, benefits from elderly friends, good health, domestic harmony, marriage to one of higher station. [Robson * , p.192.] With Uranus: Broad-minded, liberal, minister or speaker on religious and philosophical subjects, not limited to any definite creed, many friends among the people, favorable for domestic matters. [Robson * , p.192.] With Neptune: Sensitive and mediumistic, notorious through and luck in speculation, political interests, wealthy friends favorable for domestic matters, death from tumorous growth after unsuccessful operation leaving financial affairs involved. [Robson * , p.192.] References: Canis Minor: Facts, Myth, Star Map, Major Stars, Deep Sky Objects | Constellation Guide Constellation Guide Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky Canis Minor Constellation Canis Minor is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name means “the smaller dog” or “lesser dog” in Latin. The constellation represents one of the dogs following Orion , the hunter in Greek mythology.

The other dog is represented by the larger neighbouring constellation Canis Major . Both constellations were first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Canis Minor is home Procyon, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, Luyten’s Star, one of the nearest stars to Earth, and the spiral galaxy NGC 2485, among other notable objects. FACTS, LOCATION & MAP Canis Minor Map, by IAU and Sky&Telescope magazine Canis Minor is the 71st largest constellation in the sky, occupying an area of 183 square degrees. It lies in the second quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ2) and can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -75°. The neighboring constellations are Cancer , Gemini , Hydra , and Monoceros . Canis Minor does not contain any Messier objects nor does it have any stars with known planets. The brightest star in the constellation is Procyon, Alpha Canis Minoris, which is also the seventh brightest star in the sky. There is one meteor shower associated with the constellation, the Canis-Minorids.

Canis Minor belongs to the Orion family of constellations, along with Canis Major , Lepus , Monoceros , and Orion . MYTH Canis Minor is most commonly identified as one of the dogs following Orion, the hunter in Greek myth. In another legend, the constellation is said to represent Maera, dog of the unlucky wine-maker Icarius, who was killed by his friends after they had mistaken drunkenness for a murder attempt, thinking Icarius had tried to poison them. (They had never tasted wine before.) Maera, Icarius’ dog, found his body and ran to his daughter Erigone. Both the daughter and the dog were overwhelmed with grief and took their own lives. Erigone hanged herself and the dog jumped off a cliff. Zeus later placed their images in the sky. In this version of the constellation myth, Icarius is associated with Boötes, the Herdsman , Erigone with the constellation Virgo , and Maera with Canis Minor. Hyginus (Latin author who lived at the turn of the millennium) confused the myth somewhat in his writings.

He wrote that Icarius’ murderers escaped to the island of Ceos and, as punishment for their misdeed, the island was stricken with sickness and famine, which were attributed to the searing Dog Star , Sirius. (Procyon is mistaken for Sirius here, the other dog star, located in Canis Major .) When Aristaeus, King of Ceos asked the god Apollo, who was also his father, for advice on saving his people from starving to death, he was told to pray to Zeus. Aristaeus did so and Zeus sent Etesian winds to the island. Every year, the myth goes, Etesian winds blow for 40 days and cool Greece and its islands during the Dog Days of summer. After Zeus had sent relief to Ceos, the priests instituted the custom of making ritual sacrifices to the gods every year before the rising of Sirius . In yet another myth, Canis Minor is identified as the Teumessian fox, the animal that could not be outrun, and was eventually turned into stone by Zeus, who also turned its hunter, Laelaps, to stone. (Laelaps was an extremely fast dog, destined to always catch its prey.

In the myth, the dog is represented by the constellation Canis Major .) To commemorate the event, Zeus placed both animals in the sky. MAJOR STARS IN CANIS MINOR Procyon – α Canis Minoris (Alpha Canis Minoris) Procyon is the brightest star in Canis Minor and the seventh brightest star in the sky. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 0.34. Procyon is not extraordinarily bright in itself, but is located pretty close to the Sun; it lies only 11.41 light years away. It is the 13th nearest star system to our own. The stars of the Winter Triangle and the Winter Hexagon The star’s name is derived from the Greek προκύον (prokyon), which means “before the dog.” It is also sometimes called Antecanis, which means the same thing in Latin. The star got this name because it rises before Sirius, the Dog Star , in the sky when observed from most northern latitudes.

Procyon is a binary star system, composed of a white main sequence star, Procyon A, which belongs to the spectral class F5 IV-V, and Procyon B, a DA-type faint white dwarf as the companion. Procyon A has 1.4 solar masses and is 7.5 times more luminous than the Sun, while Procyon B has 0.6 solar masses and an apparent magnitude of 10.7. Scientists believe that life is unlikely in Procyon’s system because the habitable zone may not contain stable orbits because of the presence of the white dwarf and also because Procyon emits more of its light in the ultraviolet spectrum, which is damaging to life forms. Procyon is part of the Winter Triangle asterism, along with Sirius in Canis Major and Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion . It is also one of the vertices of the Winter Hexagon , along with the stars Capella in Auriga , Aldebaran in Taurus , Castor and Pollux in Gemini , Rigel in Orion and Sirius in Canis Major .

Gomeisa – β Canis Minoris (Beta Canis Minoris) Gomeisa, the second brightest star in Canis Minor, is a hot, B8-type main sequence star classified as a Gamma Cassiopeiae variable. It rotates rapidly and exhibits irregular variations in luminosity because of the outflow of matter. These stars are also known as shell stars because they are surrounded by a disk of ejected material, which is heated up by the stars’ emissions. Gomeisa is approximately 170 light years distant. It has a mean apparent magnitude of 2.89, with its brightness varying between magnitudes 2.84 and 2.92. The name Gomeisa is derived from the Arabic al-ghumaisa, which means “the bleary-eyed (woman).” γ Canis Minoris (Gamma Canis Minoris) Gamma CMi is a double star, a spectroscopic binary, approximately 398 light years from Earth. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.33. The main star in the system is an orange K-type giant and the unresolved companion has an orbital period of 389 days.

G Canis Minoris G Canis Minoris (G CMi) is another binary star, approximately 261 light years distant. It is an orange K-type giant with a magnitude of 4.39. Luyten’s Star (GJ 273) Luyten’s Star is a red dwarf, approximately 12.36 light years from Earth. It has an apparent magnitude of 9.87, which makes it very faint to observe. Luyten’s Star is the 22nd nearest star system to our own. The closest approach was about 13,000 years ago, when the star was within 3.67 parsecs. It is now in the process of moving away from the solar system. Luyten’s Star was named after Willem Jacob Luyten, the Dutch-American astronomer who first determined the star’s proper motion. The star is currently located only 1.2 light years from Procyon. DEEP SKY OBJECTS IN CANIS MINOR Canis Minor contains a number of deep sky objects, but all are very faint and difficult to observe.

The brightest is the spiral galaxy NGC 2485, with an apparent magnitude of 12.4. The galaxy is located 3.5 degrees northeast of Procyon. Its coordinates are 07:56:48.7 (right ascension), +07:28:39 (declination). Astronomy

Question: Procyon and Gomesia are the two brightest stars in which constellation?
Answer: Canis Minor